My Promotion to Sin

My eyes snapped open to total darkness, my consciousness already started to return slowly. I blinked multiple times, still disoriented and having no idea where I was.

A dull ache pulsed behind my temples

“probably lingering effects of the alcohol” i thought while every muscle in my body felt heavy, tender and unwilling to move.

I reached out blindly into the dark searching for my phone on a nightstand but instead of cool sheets, my palm brushed against smooth warm skin.

I froze instantly.

The low and steady sound of deep breathing filled the quiet room. I slowly turned my head, in a room lit only by the ambient silver glow of city lights filtering through floor-to-ceiling windows, a woman lay beside me.

She was sprawling on her stomach, her bare back completely exposed to the cool air of the room. The sheet had fallen to her waist, revealing the soft full curve of her breast resting against the mattress, her short dark hair framing her cheek.

“A woman in my bed...” I whispered the words barely making a breath.

Then panic hit me like a wave of ice water. The memories of the night rushed back into my head with terrifying clarity… the way her hands had pinned my wrists above my head, her mouth on my breasts, her fingers deep inside me and the shattering terrifying pleasure that had torn through my body.

Oh God. Oh no. What did I do?

Tears of guilt burned the backs of my eyes. I was straight. I had never been with a woman like that or anyone like that.

My body was still sticky and sore between my legs from what we had done. Yet even now, looking at her bare shoulders, a forbidden tingle ignited deep inside me, my body had betrayed me and the realization left me feeling dirty, confused and deeply afraid of myself.

I scrambled around the foot of the bed, my hands trembling violently as I scooped my clothes off the floor. I yanked my dress over my head, almost tearing the delicate zipper in my desperate rush. I couldn't even find my silver bracelet but I didn't care to search. I just needed to leave this place

I pulled my phone out of my purse. The screen flared to life: 4:12 AM.

My heart leaped into my throat. I had to be across town for my first day at my new job by 7:00 AM. I was starting as a junior strategist at Vanguard Media, one of the largest, most cutthroat magazine and media conglomerates in the country. It was my dream job after months of grueling applications following university and I could not afford to mess it up.

I slipped out of the master bedroom, tiptoed through the dark penthouse and hurried out the front door into the chilly morning air.

I managed to hail a yellow cab on the quiet street. As the taxi sped through the sleeping city, I pressed my forehead against the cold glass window staring out at the passing streetlights.

I couldn't stop thinking about her.

I didn't even know her name but my skin still prickled everywhere she had touched me. The ghost of her low, raspy voice lingered in my ears. The absolute control she held, the raw desire in her eye —it should have felt wrong, unnatural to everything I had ever believed about myself, yet I knew it was the most intense thing I had ever experienced in my life.

“It was just a drunk mistake” I lied to myself, closing my eyes tight. A crazy one-night stand. I will never see her again. I just need to focus on my career.

By the time I made it back to my tiny apartment, showered off the lingering scent of her sandalwood perfume and pulled on a modest black skirt suit it was 6:30 AM.

When I stepped through the grand glass doors of Vanguard Media at precisely 6:50 AM, my jaw nearly dropped.

The building was overwhelming. High marble ceilings, polished floors and towering digital screens displayed flashing magazine covers and national media campaigns.

Hundreds of sharp, stylishly dressed corporate employees moved with purpose, talking into earpieces and clutching designer coffee cups. I felt tiny and completely out of my depth.

I walked up to the grand reception desk, clutching my portfolio tightly against my chest like a shield.

“Um, excuse me? Hi. I’m Tiana. I’m supposed to report for my onboarding today..."

The receptionist barely looked up from her screen, pointing dismissively toward a set of glass-walled waiting rooms near the main lobby.

"Take a seat in Room B. Someone from HR will get to you when they're free."

I sat in that cold glass box for over an hour. People walked past, glancing at my young face with utter disinterest. I felt completely dismissed, like an intern who had wandered into the wrong building by mistake.

What I didn't know was that high above the lobby, on the VIP balcony overlooking the main entrance, a woman in a dark suit was leaning against the railing. Holding a steaming cup of black coffee, she had spotted me the second I walked through the front doors.

Her penetrative stare remained on me, watching as I fidgeted under the weight of her attention. She pulled her phone from her pocket and dialed the head of Human Resources directly.

"She’s in Waiting Room B," Erica said into the receiver, her voice dropping as she watched nervously pulled my skirt below. "Conduct a brief, formal interview just to keep up appearances... and then give her the junior strategy position immediately. Send her up to my floor tomorrow morning."

At 8:30 AM, an HR manager finally walked into the room, asked me three quick questions about my degree and handed me an employment packet.

"Congratulations, Tiana” the woman said briskly, handing me a silver security badge. "You've been fast-tracked. Report to the Executive Suite on the top floor tomorrow at 8:00 AM sharp”

I blinked twice completely stunned by how fast it had happened, my shoulders slumped as relief finally took hold of me. I actually had a real job!

I packed my papers into my bag, took a deep breath, and turned to walk out of the waiting room. As I opened the heavy glass door, I nearly crashed right into someone standing on the other side.

"Oh! I'm so sorry—" I gasped, stepping back quickly.

I looked up and the words died in my throat, my blood drained completely from my face and i instantly felt dizzy.

Standing right in front of me, wearing a nice tailored charcoal suit that emphasized her broad shoulders and sharp commanding stance was the woman from the bed.

Her short dark hair was perfectly styled into a small bun and her eyes locked straight onto mine. She didn't look surprised at all. Instead she smiled like she knows me, it was a look of pure predatory satisfaction.

My hands shook so hard I almost dropped my portfolio.

"Careful, little girl” her raspy voice smoothed over me as she stepped closer, lowering her tone so only I could hear. "You don't want to fall before you even start working for me."